Israel: Government Requiring Middle Schools to Open Chinese Classes

The Education Ministry and Finance Ministry of Israel jointly issued a notice, asking the high schools to offer Chinese classes. According to the notice, Israel made the decision for the country’s long-term development because China is a promising country, in terms of politics, economy and culture. The notice said with the economic development, students should be encouraged to choose Chinese as the language of examinations from the next semester.

Israel and China did not established diplomatic relations until 1992. But in 1958, Hebrew University already offered Chinese classes. With the rapid economic development of China, Chinese studies in Israel have also achieved remarkable progress. At present, three universities in Israel teach Chinese. Every year, there are at least 100 Israeli students studying in China. In May 2007, the “Chinese Cultural Festival” was held in Israel. In October 2009, Israel launched a cultural exchange program, entitled “Experience China in Israel.”

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Published in Confucius Institute Magazine
Number 08. Volume III. May 2010.
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